Scalable chromatic adaptation

Abstract

Scalable color balancing techniques for processing images to be presented on displays are described. One technique includes receiving ambient light color information from an ambient light sensor and input image data to be presented via a display coincident with receiving the ambient light color information. The display may have a first white point at a time prior to receiving the input image data. The technique may include determining a second white point for the display based on the input image data and the ambient light color information. The first and second white points may differ from each other. The technique may also include generating one or more chromatic adaptation transforms (CATs) based on the white points. Output image data may be generated based on applying the one or more CATs to the input image data. The output image data may be presented via the display. Other embodiments are described.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer implemented method for displaying image data on a display device, comprising:
 operating an ambient light sensor to receive ambient light color information; 
 receiving, with one or more processors, input image data to be presented via a display device coincident with the received ambient light color information, the display device having a first white point at a time prior to receiving the input image data; 
 determining, with the one or more processors, a second white point for the display device in response to the received input image data and the ambient light color information, wherein the first and second white points are different from each other; 
 generating, with the one or more processors, a plurality of chromatic adaptation transforms (CATs) based on the first and second white points, wherein the plurality of CATs are different from each other and are stored in a memory; 
 determining, with the one or more processors, an image processing capability associated with the display device; 
 determining, with the one or more processors, a constraint affecting image processing operations performed for the display device; 
 generating, with the one or more processors, output image data by accessing one or more of the plurality of CATs in the memory and applying the accessed one or more CATs to the input image data; and 
 displaying the output image data on the display device. 
 
     
     
       2. The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting, with the one or more processors and based on the determined image processing capability and the determined constraint, one CAT from a group consisting of the plurality of CATs. 
 
     
     
       3. The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the constraint comprises one or more of:
 an availability of computational resources for performing image processing operations for the display device, 
 an amount of computational resources required to perform image processing operations for the display device, 
 a timing constraint associated with displaying data on the display device or performing image processing operations for the display device, and 
 a desired or an acceptable accuracy of image processing results. 
 
     
     
       4. The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the image processing capability comprises a capability of an associated circuitry of the display device to process one or more of a matrix and an LUT. 
     
     
       5. The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein generating output image data further comprises:
 applying, with the one or more processors, a temporal filter to the output image data. 
 
     
     
       6. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 operate an ambient light sensor to receive ambient light color information; 
 receive input image data to be presented via a display device coincident with the received ambient light color information, the display device having a first white point at a time prior to receiving the input image data; 
 determine a second white point for the display device in response to the received input image data and the ambient light color information, wherein the first and second white points are different from each other; 
 generate a plurality of Chromatic adaptation transforms (CATs) based on the first and second white points, wherein the plurality of CATs are different from each other and are stored in a memory; 
 determine an image processing capability associated with the display device; 
 determine a constraint affecting image processing operations performed for the display device; 
 generate output image data by accessing one or more of the plurality of CATs in the memory and applying the accessed one or more CATs to the input image data; and 
 display the output image data on the display device. 
 
     
     
       7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the instructions comprise additional instructions for causing the one or more processors to:
 select, based on the determined image processing capability and the determined constraint, one CAT from a group consisting of the plurality of CATs. 
 
     
     
       8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the constraint comprises one or more of:
 an availability of computational resources for performing image processing operations for the display device, 
 an amount of computational resources required to perform image processing operations for the display device, 
 a timing constraint associated with displaying data on the display device or performing image processing operations for the display device, and 
 a desired or an acceptable accuracy of image processing results. 
 
     
     
       9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the image processing capability comprises a capability of an associated circuitry of the display device to process one or more of a matrix and an LUT. 
     
     
       10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the instructions for causing the one or more processors to generate output image data comprise instructions for causing the one or more processors to:
 apply a temporal filter to the output image data. 
 
     
     
       11. A computer implemented system for displaying image data on a display device, comprising:
 a display device configured to display image data; 
 one or more ambient light sensors coupled to the display device, the one or more sensors configured to capture ambient light color information associated with the display device; 
 memory coupled to the display device and the one or more sensors, the memory comprising data and the data comprising instructions; and 
 one or more processors coupled to the display device, the one or more sensors, and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to:
 operate the one or more ambient light sensors to receive the ambient light color information; 
 receive input image data for display on the display device coincident with the received ambient light color information, the display device having a first white point at a time prior to receiving the input image data; 
 determine a second white point for the display device in response to the received input image data and the ambient light color information, wherein the first and second white points are different from each other; 
 generate a plurality of chromatic adaptation transforms (CATs) based on the first and second white points, wherein the plurality of CATs are different from each other and are stored in the memory; 
 determine an image processing capability associated with the display device; 
 determine a constraint affecting image processing operations performed for the display device; 
 generate output image data by accessing one or more of the plurality of CATs in the memory and applying the accessed one or more CATs to the input image data; and 
 displaying the output image data on the display device. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The computer implemented system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions comprise additional instructions and wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the additional instructions to:
 select, based on the determined image processing capability and the determined constraint, one CAT from a group consisting of the plurality of CATs. 
 
     
     
       13. The computer implemented system of  claim 11 , wherein the constraint comprises one or more of:
 an availability of computational resources for performing image processing operations for the display device, 
 an amount of computational resources required to perform image processing operations for the display device, 
 a timing constraint associated with displaying data on the display device or performing image processing operations for the display device, and 
 a desired or an acceptable accuracy of image processing results. 
 
     
     
       14. The computer implemented system of  claim 11 , wherein the image processing capability comprises a capability of an associated circuitry of the display device to process one or more of a matrix and an LUT. 
     
     
       15. The computer implemented system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors being configured to execute the instructions to generate output image data comprises the one or more processors being further configured to execute the instructions to:
 apply a temporal filter to the output image data. 
 
     
     
       16. A computer implemented method for displaying image data on a display device, comprising:
 generating, with one or more processors, first output image data by accessing a first chromatic adaptive transform (CAT) from a memory and applying the first CAT to input image data, the first CAT being selected from a plurality of CATs based on determining a first image processing capability associated with a display device and a first constraint affecting image processing operations performed for the display device at or around a first time; 
 displaying the first output image data via the display device; 
 generating, with the one or more processors, second output image data by accessing from the memory a second CAT that differs from the first CAT and applying the second CAT to the input image data, the second CAT being selected from the plurality of CATs based on determining a second image processing capability associated with the display device and a second constraint affecting the image processing operations performed for the display device at or around a second time that is after the first time; and 
 transitioning, with the one or more processors, from displaying the first output image data via the display device to displaying the second output image data via the display device. 
 
     
     
       17. The computer implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein a characteristic of the transition comprises one or more of:
 a time duration of the transition that is equal to or greater than a threshold time difference; and 
 a temporal update rate of the transition that is less than or equal to a just noticeable difference threshold. 
 
     
     
       18. The computer implemented method of  claim 17 , wherein the transition comprises:
 generating intermediate output image data using an intermediate CAT and the input image data, the intermediate CAT being determined based on the first CAT; 
 displaying the intermediate image data via the display device; 
 generating the second output image data using the second CAT and the input image data, the second CAT being generated based on the intermediate image data; and 
 displaying the second output image data via the display device. 
 
     
     
       19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 generate first output image data by accessing a first chromatic adaptive transform (CAT) from a memory and applying the first CAT to input image data, the first CAT being selected from a plurality of CATs based on determining a first image processing capability associated with a display device and a first constraint affecting image processing operations performed for the display device at or around a first time; 
 display the first output image data via the display device; 
 generate second output image data by accessing from the memory a second CAT that differs from the first CAT and by applying the second CAT to the input image data, the second CAT being selected from the plurality of CATs based on determining a second image processing capability associated with the display device and a second constraint affecting the image processing operations performed for the display device at or around a second time that is after the first time; and 
 transition from displaying the first output image data via the display device to displaying the second output image data via the display device. 
 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein a characteristic of the transition comprises one or more of:
 a time duration of the transition that is equal to or greater than a threshold time difference; and 
 a temporal update rate of the transition that is less than or equal to a just noticeable difference threshold. 
 
     
     
       21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein the instructions for causing the one or more processors to transition comprise instructions for causing the one or more processors to:
 generate intermediate output image data using an intermediate CAT and the input image data, the intermediate CAT being determined based on the first CAT; 
 display the intermediate image data via the display device; 
 generate the second output image data using the second CAT and the input image data, the second CAT being generated based on the intermediate image data; and 
 display the second output image data via the display device. 
 
     
     
       22. A computer implemented system for displaying image data on a display device, comprising:
 a display device configured to display image data; 
 one or more ambient light sensors coupled to the display, the one or more sensors configured to capture ambient light color information associated with the display device; 
 memory coupled to the display and the one or more sensors, the memory comprising data and the data comprising instructions and input image data; and 
 one or more processors coupled to the display device, the one or more sensors, and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to:
 generate first output image data by accessing a first chromatic adaptive transform (CAT) from a memory and applying the first CAT to the input image data, the first CAT being selected from a plurality of CATs based on determining a first image processing capability associated with the display device and a first constraint affecting image processing operations performed for the display device at or around a first time; 
 display the first output image data via the display device; 
 generate second output image data by accessing from the memory a second CAT that differs from the first CAT and applying the second CAT to the input image data, the second CAT being selected from the plurality of CATs based on determining a second image processing capability associated with the display device and a second constraint affecting the image processing operations performed for the display device at or around a second time that is after the first time; and 
 transition from displaying the first output image data via the display device to displaying the second output image data via the display device. 
 
 
     
     
       23. The computer implemented system of  claim 22 , wherein a characteristic of the transition comprises one or more of:
 a time duration of the transition that is equal to or greater than a threshold time difference; and 
 a temporal update rate of the transition that is less than or equal to a just noticeable difference threshold. 
 
     
     
       24. The computer implemented system of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more processors being configured to execute the instructions to transition comprises the one or more processors being configured to execute the instructions to:
 generate intermediate output image data using an intermediate CAT and the input image data, the intermediate CAT being determined based on the first CAT; 
 display the intermediate image data via the display device; 
 generate the second output image data using the second CAT and the input image data, the second CAT being generated based on the intermediate image data; and 
 display the second output image data via the display device.